Stronger Connections Grant (Title IV, Part A: Student Support & Academic Enrichment)

Stronger Connections Grant (Title IV, Part A: Student Support & Academic Enrichment) is sponsored by Montana Office of Public Instruction. The Stronger Connections grant provides funding for Montana Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive approach that prioritizes physical and emotional safety for their unique school community.

Title IV, Part A: Student Support & Academic Enrichment Title IV, Part A: Student Support & Academic Enrichment Title IV Part A, also known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE), is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act reauthorization of the ESEA.

The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with: Access to a well-rounded education Improve school conditions for student learning, safe and healthy students Effective use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students Title IV Quick Reference Guide 2025 Stronger Connections Grant The Stronger Connections grant aims to provide funding for Montana LEAs to develop, implement and evaluate a comprehensive approach that prioritizes physical and emotional safety for their unique school community (SEC.

4108 [20 U.S.C. 7118]). Funded activities and practices should prioritize safety, create a sense of belonging, implement trauma-responsive approaches, and teach positive behaviors to provide safe and supportive learning environments that improve academic achievement and the well-being of students.

Read the full Grant Guidance and template document to learn more! Read frequently asked questions for more information. For assistance with the Stronger Connections Grant contact Sarah Music at Email: sarah.

music@mt.

gov Phone: (406) 465-2189 Title IV Part A Resources The OPI's Title IV Part A Fact Sheet Department of Education's Non-Regulatory Guidance: Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING ESSA Title IV Part A Regulatory Statute U.S. Department of Education's Title IV-A Local Education Agency Needs Assessment Tool -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING The OPI's Guide to Choosing Programs, Policies or Practice 2022-2023 Public Reporting for Montana's Title IV-A Programs 2021-2022 Public Reporting for Montana's Title IV-A Programs 2020-2021 Public Reporting for Montana's Title IV-A Programs Title IV A Application Instructions Title IV-A Grant Application Information Title IV-A E-grants Application Instructions 2025-2026 ESEA Consolidated Application Application created by September 1, 2025 Application submitted by September 30, 2025 Final approved application by October 31, 2025 Last day to create amendments by September 1, 2026 Last day to obligate funds by September 30, 2026 Last day to liquidate funds by October 31, 2026 Final expenditure reports due by November 25, 2026 – if your district received an allocation in Title IV-A but moved funds to another title program, $0 final expenditure reports are still required.

2024-2025 ESEA Consolidated Application Application created by September 1, 2024 Application submitted by September 30, 2024 Final Approved Application by October 31, 2026 Last day to create amendments for the previous year by September 1, 2025 Last day to obligate funds for the previous year by September 30, 2025 Last day to liquidate funds for the previous year by October 25, 2025 Final expenditure reports due by November 25, 2025 – if your district received an allocation in Title IV-A but moved funds to another title program, $0 final expenditure reports are still required.

Ensuring all students are healthy and feel safe and supported is central to the shared work across programs. Research shows that when schools and districts effectively focus on creating a safe, healthy, and supportive environment, students are more likely to engage in the curriculum, achieve academically, and develop positive relationships.

Supporting safe and healthy students with: Supporting Safe Students and Schools child sexual abuse & sex trafficking awareness and prevention emergency operations planning & school safety re-entry & transition protocols for youth involved in juvenile justice programs -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING restructuring discipline that is restorative in practice that incorporates trauma-informed approaches school readiness & academic success suicide prevention for all Supporting Physical & Mental Health AED & first aid in schools chronic disease management comprehensive school mental health health & physical education -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING mentoring & school counseling schoolwide positive behavioral interventions & supports substance use (drug) prevention training on trauma-informed practices Activities that can be considered for pairing with well-rounded education and/or effective use of technology: mentoring and school counseling schoolwide positive behavioral interventions & supports Montana Safety Rubric : In addition to general safety planning, this document can guide school districts working to prioritize their ESSA Title IV-A funds through a self-assessment of their school’s safety structure including physical, culture and climate, psychological and emotional health before, during, and after an emergency.

Check out the OPI Professional Learning Opportunities Portal for Safe and Healthy Students training opportunities. Grant Resources -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING from the University of Montana: Center for Children, Families, and Workforce Development . The Center wants to help Montana communities apply for grants.

Their resources include a grant search filtered for relevance to Montana, with special emphasis on rural communities. They also offer a short training to help develop grant writing skills and are able to provide concrete assistance to schools and communities with the grant writing process. National School Mental Health Curriculum: Guidance and Best Practices for States, Districts, and Schools -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING .

Learn more about a new Free curriculum for school mental health available in Montana from the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network. Well-Rounded Education Programs Providing all students with access to a well-rounded education as a means of improving academic achievement. Ensuring all students have access to a holistic well-rounded education is central to the shared work across programs.

Title IV-A supports students with a well-rounded education including programs such as: STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics increasing access for groups of underrepresented students to high-quality courses supporting participation in nonprofit competitions (e.g. robotics, math competitions, computer programming) providing students hands-on learning and exposure to STEM, including through field-based and service learning; supporting the creation and enhancement of STEM-focused specialty schools facilitating collaboration among programs that take place during the school day and those that take place during out-of-school time to improve the integration of STEM instruction in those programs integrating other academic subjects such as the arts into STEM curricula Foreign Language Instruction is essential for students to fully participate in today’s global economy and increasingly diverse communities Accelerated Learning Programs pay for success; i.e.reimbursing low-income students to cover all or part of the costs of AP, IB, or other accelerated learning program examinations increasing the availability of, and enrollment in, AP or IB programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs, early college high schools, and other accelerated learning options Counseling, mentoring, or programs that develop study skills and critical thinking with dual or concurrent enrollment and early college high schools: strategies designed to decrease high school drop-out rates to increase high school graduation rates and college-entrance rates redesign what the high school experience can be politics and government, including the foundations of the American political system College and Career Counseling: Career Pathways designed to help students make informed and better educational and career choices as they develop personal, social, educational, and career skills: offer students information starting in middle school about how to prepare for college, including the importance of choosing rigorous high school course offerings how to choose from among career options, how to enroll in and receive federal financial aid through the FAFSA how to pursue academic and occupational training needed to succeed in the workplace help prepare students to transition to college: assistance is provided on identifying postsecondary opportunities that are associated with students’ interests applying for college admissions and obtaining financial aid preparing for college aptitude tests (e.g. SAT and ACT) Whole Child Skill Development interventions that build resilience other social and behavioral skills Check out the OPI Professional Learning Opportunities Portal for Well-Rounded Education training opportunities.

Effective Use of Technology Promoting digital literacy of all students and providing professional development to the educators that teach and support them. Ensuring that all students build the capacities necessary for thriving as 21 st century learners and workforce contributors.

If a district receives Title IV-A SSAE program funds of $30,000 or greater, a portion of the funds must be used for increasing effective use of technology to improve the academic achievement, academic growth, and digital literacy of all students.

If a district chooses to spend their Title IV-A funds on programs and activities to increase the effectiveness of technology, there is a 15% cap on spending for technology infrastructure (devices, equipment, software and digital content) . This cap applies to all districts*, but only to funds in the effective use of technology area. * SRSA eligible districts may apply for a waiver to this rule by using "Reap-Flex" within Title IV-A.

Effective Use of Technology purchases fall into these main categories for Digital Citizenship, Personalized Learning, and Improving Equity for All Learners: Provide Personalized Learning learners use self-assessment and formative feedback to monitor growth reflect on their learning challenge themselves to reach more rigorous goals Discover, Adapt & Share High-Quality Resources licensed educational resources curated digital collections more granular resources such as images, videos, and assessment items Implement Blended Learning Strategies leverages both technology-based and face-to-face instructional approaches that include an element of online or digital learning combined with supervised learning time student-led learning, in which the elements are connected to provide an integrated learning experience where students are provided some control over time, path, or pace ongoing professional development on how to implement blended learning projects and to support planning activities: provide initial professional learning for educators on effective blended learning model instruction ongoing collaborative planning time ongoing, job-embedded professional learning opportunities to improve educator practice ongoing opportunities could include access to digital professional learning resources, a collaborative community of practice, and/or coaching Implement School- & District-wide Approaches to inform instruction, support teacher collaboration, and personalize learning: create learning communities composed of students fellow educators in schools, museums, libraries, and after-school programs experts in various disciplines around the world; members of community organizations; and families provide personalized professional development so that educators receive tailored, job-embedded support Resources and Professional Development Find Effective Use of Technology training opportunities on the OPI Professional Learning Portal .

Title IV-A Connections Grant Title IV-A Safe and Healthy Students - Stronger Connections Through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) of June 2022 , the Montana Office of Public Instruction was awarded $4. 8 million in additional funding for Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

This one-time funding is in addition to the Title IV, Part A funding already allocated to the Montana OPI and 95% of these funds will be made available to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) through a competitive sub-grant application. This competitive grant is currently closed.

US Department of Education Stronger Connections Grant FAQ -- THIS LINK NEEDS UPDATING (Released 11/23/2022) Public Comment Notice on Montana OPI Title IV-A Safe and Healthy Students- Stronger Connections Competitive Sub-grant DRAFT Montana SCG competitive sub-grant process For assistance with the Stronger Connections Grant contact Sarah Music at Email: sarah. music@mt.

gov Phone: (406) 465-2189 School Safety Professional Development Grants -- THIS LINK MAY NEED UPDATING OPI Staff are here to help: Richard Hanley , Title IV, Part A Program Specialist, (406) 444-3519 Return to Federal Programs Home English Language Acquisition Federal Allocation Bulletins Homeless, Neglected and Delinquent, and Foster Care Monitoring and Risk Assessment Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies Title I, Part C: Migrant Education Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction Title V: Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP)